SEEI

The Mental Health Systems Enhancement Evaluation Initiative (SEEI) was a research project funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. Its purpose was to evaluate the effects of the significant investments made by the Government of Ontario over four years, beginning in 2004/2005, in key areas of the community mental health system including: crisis response, intensive case management, assertive community treatment, early intervention in psychosis, and services for individuals with mental illness who were in contact with the criminal justice system.

About the Partners

The SEEI represented a broad collaboration of researchers from throughout the province, as well as stakeholders from many organizations, including:

SEEI Updates

Moving in the Right Direction: SEEI Final Report

The final report for the Systems Enhancement Evaluation Initiative (SEEI) provides a high level summary of the results of the SEEI, a four-year initiative to evaluate the effects of the $167 million dollar government investment in Ontario’s community mental health system.

Results show that the new funds have made a significant difference in a variety of ways and that Ontario’s community mental health system is moving in the right direction.

Some of the key messages that the report highlights and expands upon are as follows:

Programs substantially increased the number of clients they were able to serve. However, the newly enhanced community mental health system still does not have the capacity to serve all those in need.

Clients of newly-enhanced programs experienced a range of positive outcomes.

New funds were used to innovate and develop more efficient and effective program-level services.

System integration was expanded and improved when funds were targeted specifically towards integration activities.

Matching the level of care that client’s need with the level they receive has improved. There are, however, still many people receiving less than recommended levels of care.